Boss (bs), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Bossed (bst); p. pr. & vb. n. Bossing.] [OE. bocen, fr. OF. bocier. See the preceding word.] To ornament with bosses; to stud.
Boss, n. [D. baas master.] A master workman or superintendent; a director or manager; a political dictator. [Slang, U. S.]
Boss"age (&?;), n. [F. bossage, fr. bosse. See Boss a stud.] 1. (Arch.) A stone in a building, left rough and projecting, to be afterward carved into shape. Gwilt.
2. (Arch.) Rustic work, consisting of stones which seem to advance beyond the level of the building, by reason of indentures or channels left in the joinings. Gwilt.
Bossed (&?;), a. Embossed; also, bossy.
Bos"set (&?;), n. [Cf. Boss a stud.] (Zoöl.) A rudimental antler of a young male of the red deer.
Boss"ism (&?;), n. The rule or practices of bosses, esp. political bosses. [Slang, U. S.]
Boss"y (&?;), a. Ornamented with bosses; studded.
Bos"sy, n. [Dim. fr. Prov. E. boss in boss-calf, buss-calf, for boose-calf, prop., a calf kept in the stall. See 1st Boose.] A cow or calf; -- familiarly so called. [U. S.]
Bos"ton (&?;), n. A game at cards, played by four persons, with two packs of fifty-two cards each; -- said to be so called from Boston, Massachusetts, and to have been invented by officers of the French army in America during the Revolutionary war.
Bos*well"i*an (&?;), a. Relating to, or characteristic of, Boswell, the biographer of Dr. Johnson.
Bos"well*ism (&?;), n. The style of Boswell.
Bot (&?;), n. (Zoöl.) See Bots.
{ Bo*tan"ic (&?;), Bo*tan"ic*al (&?;), } a. [Cf. F. botanique. See Botany.] Of or pertaining to botany; relating to the study of plants; as, a botanical system, arrangement, textbook, expedition. -- Botan"ic*al*ly, adv.
Botanic garden, a garden devoted to the culture of plants collected for the purpose of illustrating the science of botany. -- Botanic physician, a physician whose medicines consist chiefly of herbs and roots.
Bot"a*nist (&?;), n. [Cf. F. botaniste.] One skilled in botany; one versed in the knowledge of plants.
Bot"a*nize (&?;), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Botanized (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Botanizing (&?;).] [Cf. F. botaniser.] To seek after plants for botanical investigation; to study plants.
Bot"a*nize, v. t. To explore for botanical purposes.
Bot"a*ni`zer (&?;), n. One who botanizes.